Above & Beyond – Anjunabeats Volume 15

If anyone wants to sell this, please PM me. Thanks

Vol 15 has a huge challenge competing with Vol 14, and here the boys organically continue the sound instead of trying to replicate -- the compilation doesn't feel forced and fits the continually evolving label style.

Disc 1:

This disc starts with melodic house and sticks with it. Nice start with highlights being Marsh and Le Youth, and the disc mixes it up a bit compared to predecessors, showing off the lower-bpm turn by the label and the embrace of melodic house, and honestly its pretty refreshing. Varied and diverse melodies and basslines, its a positive direction for the label and the innovation in sound for the lower bpms is refreshing. Jordin Post, gardenstate and Tinlicker offer some lovely cuts in the middle of the mix as it continues to teeter between melodic house and progressive. The mix rounds of with a lovely collab with Spencer Brown and Alpha9, Gardenstate for another classy cut, and Jerome Isma-ae delivering a smooth remix of Tranquility Base, before a strong, very cheeky finisher from Mat Zo. 5/5

Disc 2:

Another festival set here from the boys, with only 7/18 tracks by A&B, humility restored. The big room trance sound from Vol 14 is continued here, although starts embracing a harder, techno sound which has been very en vogue the last few years. Big starter from Alpha9, then two A&B cuts to set the tone. Elevven makes their first Anjuna appearance on G&D's Something Bigger, before we get a slew of tracks with similar vibes in euphoric breakdowns and heavy basslines. Some good tracks but it's slightly formulaic. I am sure in festivals these tracks sound fantastic, but for home listening the flow is broken a bit and can be a little grating. Oliver Smith delivers a banger however, as does Jason Ross. The final third of the disc offers more variety, with the excellent Richard Bedford partnering with the boys for Bittersweet and Blue, supergroup Elysian and their monster tune Water, and a two A&B offerings to end, Sunny Lax given the honours of remixing Sun In Your Eyes. All in all it's not a bad mix, and definitely great for the gym, but its a little too generic in the middle without much variety -- much better for an actual festival rather than headphone listening. 4/5

Top Tracks:

Tinlicker – Sleepwalker
Above & Beyond – Bittersweet & Blue (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
Elysian - Water

I pity the fool who spent over $70 on a copy of this release when new copies are still available on the label’s website for just $16 plus shipping.